Current Government consultations to localise funding will affect every council and its relationships with residents and businesses – as set out in both the proposals for localisation of business rates and the local support schemes to replace council tax benefit.

A more unexpected aspect is how strongly these “localising” proposals encourage authorities to pool together, or with their LEP.  This is to be more effective and coherent in building growth, attracting business, sharing the large new financial risks and ensuring quality delivery and value for money. But it implicitly acknowledges that in other countries with localised resourcing, smaller authorities or those in poorer areas are struggling, going bankrupt and merging.